Department for Transport

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to introduce any incentive schemes to encourage people to stop using the most polluting diesel cars.

Jesse Norman: The Government has announced an end to the sale of all new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040. To deliver this the Government wants to encourage people to switch to cleaner forms of transport and has committed to consulting on measures to support individuals and businesses who are impacted by local air quality compliance measures later this autumn. It is welcome that number of the leading car manufacturers have announced schemes that offer substantial discounts off the purchase of a new vehicle for people who are trading in or scrapping an older, more polluting vehicle. We welcome the introduction of these schemes and are particularly supportive of the schemes that commit to scrapping the older vehicles, so that we can be sure they are helping to increase fleet turnover and improve air quality. We are also supporting the uptake of vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions. This includes investing nearly £100m in the UK’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure and funding the Plug In Car and Plug In Van Grant Schemes.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Financial Services

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will appoint an independent committee to examine the governance of recognised supervisory bodies.

Margot James: The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) oversees of the work of recognised supervisory bodies (RSBs) as the Secretary of State’s delegate and the UK’s competent authority for audit. The FRC is designated for these purposes by the Companies Act 2006 and certain secondary legislation. If the RSBs breach the requirements put in place under that legislation, the FRC can remove the bodies’ recognition and can also reclaim any audit regulatory functions that it has delegated to them.

Business: Utilities

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to regulate third-party intermediaries for business customers in the (a) water, (b) energy and (c) telecommunications industries.

Margot James: The marketing activities of third party intermediaries in all sectors are subject to regulation, with the Competition and Markets Authority and trading standards having roles in ensuring business customers are not misled, under the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008.We have no current plans to further regulate third party intermediaries for business customers in the water, energy and telecommunications industries.

Energy: Prices

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the statutory obligation on Ofgem to consult with energy firms on an energy price cap across standard variable tariffs on the time taken to implement such a cap.

Margot James: Holding answer received on 12 October 2017



The draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill was published for pre-legislative scrutiny on the 12th October 2017. Clause 2 (3) of the draft Bill requires Ofgem to consult certain stakeholders on the methodology. Clause 1 of the draft Bill sets out a requirement for Ofgem to modify the standard licence condition to impose a cap as soon as practicable after the Act is passed.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Military Exercises: Far East

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on tensions in the region of military exercises in which the UK has (a) participated and (b) not participated as a result of nuclear tests by North Korea.

Mark Field: We support South Korea and its allies' right to defend themselves in the face of escalating aggression from North Korea. We do not accept that there is any equivalence between the regular, defensive and legal military exercises held by South Korea and the United States, and the aggressive and illegal ballistic missile tests and nuclear testing being conducted by North Korea, which are the cause of the raised tensions on the Korean peninsula.The UK is a sending state to the UN Command in Seoul. Alongside other nations, we routinely send military and civilian personnel to participate in two large scale military exercises conducted each year in South Korea.

India: Christianity

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on the treatment of Christians in India.

Mark Field: ​​The British Government condemns all instances of discrimination and violence against individuals or groups because of their religion, regardless of the country or faith concerns. The UK engages with India on human rights issues, including religious freedom and minority rights, both bilaterally and through the EU. Our High Commission in New Delhi monitors the human rights situation in India and maintains a dialogue with the Indian National Commission for Minorities often via our Consulate General in the country.FCO officials in New Delhi also regularly meet senior faith leaders to discuss issues such as religious tolerance, including most recently with a representative from a Christian organisation in India in June. The British Government also runs an array of projects in India to help promote minority rights and combat discrimination.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Chief Scientific Advisers

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers of his Department have had with the Chief Scientific Adviser in his Department in the last three months.

Mark Field: Neither the Foreign Secretary nor I held meetings with the Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser over this period.

Malaysia: Religious Freedom

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Government of Malaysia on that government's treatment of atheists and apostates.

Mark Field: ​The UK remains committed to standing up for the freedom of all individuals, both religious and non-religious, so that they may practice their beliefs free from fear. We are aware of, and concerned by, the recent response to a meeting of the Atheist Republic in Malaysia, which included death threats being made on social media. We regularly discuss human rights with the Malaysian government, including at Ministerial level. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London meet periodically with representatives of Malaysian Civil Society to hear their concerns. We will continue to monitor human rights issues and internal developments in Malaysia, working with the EU and other foreign missions in Kuala Lumpur, raising our concerns as appropriate. We actively promote Freedom of Religion or Belief at the UN Human Rights Council, where we support resolutions designed to foster greater tolerance.

Embassies: LGBT People

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which British Embassies flew the rainbow flag to mark the (a) Pride day of the local country, (b) International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on 17 May 2017 and (c) public demonstration of support for the rights of LGBT people between 5 August 2016 and 4 August 2017.

Mark Field: ​The promotion and protection of LGBT rights is a UK foreign policy priority and our Embassies and High Commissions overseas are encouraged to use the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia and local Pride events to support efforts to promote equality and non-discrimination. The rainbow flag is flown to mark these occasions at the discretion of the Head of Mission.UK missions also support the rights of LGBT people through other means, including through private messaging to host governments, joint statements with like minded countries, and by supporting the activity of local LGBT civil society organisations.Missions are not required to inform London of whether or how they mark international days, and no central records are kept.

BBC World Service

Mr Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress is being made in enabling access to BBC World Service in (a) North Korea, (b) Russia and (c) other countries where the service is not currently easily available, and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: The BBC World Service is delivering 12 new language services and enhancements to existing services with an investment of £291m from Government over 4 years. The Foreign Secretary agreed the funding and the new language services proposed by the BBC. Good progress has been made in delivering these services including:New radio services in the Korean language (launched 25 September 2017).Enhanced services for Russian speakers (further expansion in October 2017).Other new high quality and impartial news programmes for global audiences, including in places where free speech is limited. This includes some of the most remote places in the world, providing a link to the UK for individuals and societies who would otherwise not have this opportunity.I was in New Delhi on 3 October 2017 at the inauguration of the foreign language Indian service.The new services are tangible proof of a truly Global Britain – making the most of the UK's soft power to help the world's poorest while also projecting the UK's values around the world. Further information on the implementation of the services is available from the BBC World Service.

BBC World Service: Departmental Responsibilities

Mr Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will transfer governmental responsibility and funding of the BBC World Service to the Department for International Development.

Mark Field: ​There are no plans to transfer governmental responsibility and funding of the BBC World Service to the Department for International Development (DfID). The BBC World Service is primarily funded through the licence fee. An additional £291m is being invested by the FCO over four years to support the development and implementation of 12 new language services and other enhancements to existing services.The new services are tangible proof of a truly Global Britain – making the most of the UK's soft power to help the world's poorest while also projecting the UK's values around the world. Further information on the implementation of the services is available from the BBC World Service.

China: Ivory

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last made representations on the environmental effects of the ivory trade in China with his Chinese counterpart.

Mark Field: During my visit to China during the final week of August I had discussions with Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao on our joint efforts to counter the Illegal Wildlife Trade, including the trafficking of ivory products. I also met our key NGO partners in country and reassured them of the UK’s continued leadership on this issue through funding quality projects and working closely with the Chinese government through the UK-China Global Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Venezuela: Diplomatic Service

Mike Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what guidance his Department provides on accessing diplomatic assistance in Caracas during the ongoing political situation in Venezuela.

Mike Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the British Embassy in Caracas will be able to offer a full diplomatic service again.

Mike Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to assist dependents of British citizens who live in Venezuela.

Sir Alan Duncan: The British Embassy in Caracas provides a full diplomatic service in Venezuela and remains open. It continues to deliver consular assistance and Travel Advice to British Nationals. Anyone requiring consular assistance should continue to contact the Embassy in the usual manner.

Poland: Timber

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Polish Government on logging in the Bialowieza forest.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK has been a long-standing advocate of environmental protection. This case is in the hands of the EU Court of Justice, whose meeting is awaited. As such, we have made no formal bilateral representation to the Polish Government or European Commission. Our Embassy in Warsaw are monitoring developments and have been in touch with the Environment Ministry at a working level.

Catalonia: British Nationals Abroad

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support has been provided to British nationals affected by recent events in Catalonia.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its travel advice to inform British nationals of the recent demonstrations and strikes in Catalonia. We keep our travel advice under constant review. We stand ready to provide consular assistance to any British people caught up in these events, although we have so far received no requests to do so.

Cyprus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the UN and (b) his counterpart in Cyprus on the UN-Cyprus talks.

Sir Alan Duncan: It is disappointing that the Conference on Cyprus in Switzerland ended without agreement in July. FCO officials regularly discuss how the UK can work towards a just and lasting settlement with their Cypriot and UN counterparts. We are urging all sides to take time to reflect calmly on the outcome of the talks and in the meantime to refrain from rhetoric or actions that limit the possibility of future talks towards a settlement. The Government will continue to work to support a settlement in Cyprus that will benefit all Cypriots.

Cyprus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support UN-Cyprus talks.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK is strongly supportive of a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus that will benefit all Cypriots. For that reason, the UK fully supported the UN-facilitated Conference on Cyprus this summer. The Foreign Secretary and I had productive discussions with all parties at the Conference to help resolve the remaining issues. In the end it was not possible to bridge the gaps between all parties. It will be up to all parties concerned to agree next steps. We are encouraging both Cypriot communities to reflect calmly on the way forward. We are also urging all parties to refrain from rhetoric and actions that limit the possibility of future talks towards a settlement. In the meantime, the UK is continuing to support a settlement, including through our deployment of military personnel to the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), and through practical assistance to help the two sides move towards a settlement.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 9980, on iron and steel: procurement, what progress his Department has made on delivering greater UK steel content in line with the public procurement guidelines published by the Government in April 2016.

Chloe Smith: The Northern Ireland Office does not carry out any function requiring the procurement of steel.

Cross Border Cooperation: Northern Ireland

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how he will maintain co-operation between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as required by the Good Friday Agreement when the UK leaves the EU.

Chloe Smith: The Government is clear that the Belfast Agreement must be considered and safeguarded throughout the exit process, as a whole and in all its parts. We are, therefore, putting support for the Agreement at the heart of our approach. That is why we want to enshrine our support for the Agreement - and the citizenship rights it guarantees - in the UK’s withdrawal agreement.

Cross Border Cooperation: Northern Ireland

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with (a) cross-border bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement and (b) community and other third-sector organisations involved in cross-border co-operation on funding to maintain effective cross-border co-operation.

Chloe Smith: Maintaining effective North-South cross-border co-operation remains a key objective for the UK Government, both now, and as the UK leaves the EU, in accordance with the democratically expressed wishes of the people. For this reason, the Government’s Northern Ireland and Ireland Position Paper has clearly set out the need to focus in the initial phases of the Ireland Northern Ireland Dialogue on reaching a common understanding of the principles of North-South and East-West cooperation. Further, this Paper also makes clear our belief that the UK and the EU should be mindful of the full breadth of commitments made in the Belfast (‘Good Friday’) Agreement. It is for this reason we have proposed within the Paper that the UK and EU agree to the continuation of PEACE funding to Northern Ireland and border counties of Ireland. Work with a range of stakeholders continues to these ends.

Department for International Development

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that funding to support the electoral process is effectively disbursed to help stabilise the political climate in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and whether she will take steps to increase funding for civic education and the training of independent electoral observers.

Rory Stewart: Since 2015, DFID has supported the current electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This involved support to increasing democratic representation of women and youth, raising people’s awareness through civic/electoral education, protecting human rights defenders and broadening the Catholic Church’s electoral observation activities. Since February 2017, we have increased our support to civic education and the training of additional independent electoral observers. In addition, we announced that funding would be made available to update the national electoral roll, if all parties were prepared to hold free, fair and timely elections. That offer remains on the table.

International Citizen Service: Young People

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answers of 18 July 2017 to Questions 4979 and 4980, for what reasons there was a reduction in ICS (a) expenditure in financial year 2016-17 and (b) participants in 2016.

Alistair Burt: DFID contracts Voluntary Service Overseas to manage the International Citizen Service, deploying 20,000 volunteers from the UK and developing countries between September 2015 and February 2019. Fluctuations in volunteer numbers and expenditure from year to year are a normal feature of the programme.

Israel: Immigration Controls

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds of instances when the work of organisations in receipt of its funding or other support has been materially affected by the enforcement by the Government of Israel of Amendment 27 to the Entry into Israel law of 1952.

Alistair Burt: The full implications of this Amendment are not yet clear. The UK is aware of NGOs who have expressed concerns. We will be paying close attention to any potential impact on the work of our partners and monitoring the situation as it develops.

Palestinians: Immigration Controls

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for the development of the Palestinian Territories of Amendment 27 to the Entry into Israel law of 1952.

Alistair Burt: The full implications of this Amendment are not yet clear. DFID holds regular conversations with our partner organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) about issues affecting their work and the development of the OPTs. We will continue to monitor this situation as it develops.

Department for International Development: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2017 to Question 7998, on secondments, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the rise in applications in 2017.

Rory Stewart: The increase in the number of applications to join DFID on loan is due to an increase in the number of jobs advertised across government on loan or permanent transfer. DFID’s aim is to widen candidate attributes and enhance the capability and experience of our staff, building a more inclusive organisation to meet the changing priorities of our work.

Syria: Education

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of progress towards the amount the Government pledged for education in Syria at the London donor conference in February 2016.

Alistair Burt: Since 2012 the UK has pledged £2.46 billion in response to the Syria crisis, the UK’s largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. As well as supporting children with food, shelter and healthcare, the UK helped to launch UNICEF’s No Lost Generation Initiative, which provides education, protection, and mental health support for children in Syria and neighbouring countries. At the 2016 London Syria Conference we did not make a specific pledge for education inside Syria, but in 2016/17 alone DFID helped ensure that over 350,000 children accessed formal primary and secondary education in Syria, and that over 80,000 benefitted from non-formal education.

Dominica: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support the Government has offered to the Commonwealth of Dominica in the wake of Hurricane Maria and other recent extreme weather events.

Alistair Burt: The UK has committed £5m for critical and lifesaving humanitarian assistance to Dominica. Immediate relief efforts have focused on providing shelter, food and access to water, and the UK has used airlift capability from HMS Ocean to get essential supplies to remote villages. We have provided 3,200 tarpaulins for emergency shelter and are providing 780 shelter kits for families around the country. We have provided water purification to 5,140 households, about one quarter of the total affected, as well as funding for the Pan American Health Organisation and Red Cross. Following a World Bank needs assessment, DFID will work with key regional partners like the Caribbean Development Bank to support longer term recovery. DFID Caribbean already has programmes in place to support the construction of disaster-resilient infrastructure, including a specific project to make health facilities more resilient to hurricanes and storms.

Dominica: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the need for disaster relief and reconstruction funding for the Commonwealth of Dominica in the wake of Hurricane Maria and other recent extreme weather events.

Alistair Burt: Dominica suffered the worst impact from Hurricane Maria. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the UN assess that the entire population suffered direct damage to livelihoods and 90% of houses were damaged.We have committed £5m specifically for Dominica, which proved critical in getting lifesaving supplies onto the island. We used HMS Ocean, including its 7 helicopters, to get aid into remote villages.We have currently a team of humanitarian and logistics experts on the ground, working closely with the local authorities and specialist partners to ensure that aid continues to reach those most in need, through prioritised and coordinated distribution.

United Nations: Secondment

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding from the public purse will be disbursed for each post on the UN Junior Professional Officer programme by location and UN organisation in each of the next five years.

Rory Stewart: The funding due to be disbursed for each post on the United Nations Junior Professional Officer programme has been outlined below. The costs include an annual salary at UN grade P2/3, together with other relevant costs. There is no future funding planned beyond 2017. 2017AgencyDuty StationFunding (£)UNDPUNDP Headquarters40,889.15UNDPUNDP Headquarters42,083.78UNDPUNDP Headquarters47,748.16UNDPUNDP Headquarters30,337.46UNDPPakistan41,731.94UNFPANepal36,425.88UNFPASudan20,383.22UNFPABangladesh6,997.05UNFPAAfghanistan6,997.05WHOOccupied Palestinian Territory37,152.36WHOWHO Headquarters49,824.44WHOCongo, Republic of39,044.26UNICEFNepal91,508.54UNICEFEthiopia67,258.56UNICEFNepal80,109.11 Total638,490.94 Please note, the funding agreement the UK has with the UN is in US dollars so the below figures have been exchanged to GBP at today’s exchange rate (10/10/2017) to take account of payments still to be processed prior to 31 December 2017.

British Overseas Territories: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department is providing to Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat and the Turks Caicos Islands to repair the damage caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Alistair Burt: The UK has committed up to £65 million to the regional relief effort following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. To date nearly 180 tonnes of humanitarian aid has been delivered. In addition, 40 UK aid experts, 1900 British military personnel and over 50 police officers have been provided. The UK has also deployed a recovery planning team to support the affected territories in preparing plans for longer term reconstruction.

British Overseas Territories: Overseas Aid

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government's duty to provide assistance to British Overseas Territories is separate to its commitment to meet its UN 0.7 per cent target under the International Development Act 2015.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the Government's policy is on the use of funds intended to meet its UN 0.7 per cent target under the International Development Act 2015 on assistance for British Overseas Territories.

Rory Stewart: The countries and territories which are eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) are determined by criteria set by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD, based on GNI per head of population. Some of the Overseas Territories are currently eligible and some are not. Statistics on ODA can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development/about/statistics In light of Hurricane Irma, the Secretary of State for International Development has written to the DAC asking them as a matter of urgency to develop options to ensure the aid rules reflect the needs of those impacted by natural disasters.

HIV Infection

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the report by STOPAIDS entitled A Stocktake Review of DFID's Work on HIV and AIDS, published in September 2017.

Alistair Burt: The UK is proud to remain the second largest international funder of the HIV response. The UK Government’s recent investment in the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria will provide anti-retroviral therapy for 1.3 million people living with HIV. The UK is also at the forefront of work to prevent further spread of AIDS, which remains a top killer of adolescents in Africa.The STOPAIDS report highlights how DFID has responded to the changing epidemic by adapting its spend on HIV, noting also our assessment of how to maximise results by focussing on women and girls, key populations, together with the integration of HIV responses into the wider health system and broader development priorities.We will continue to lead the way by working with civil society partners, international governments and organisations, to ensure the ambitious international commitments on HIV are met, saving even more lives and ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

HIV Infection

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how her Department monitors and assesses the effectiveness of HIV and AIDS awareness campaigns and training as part of their integration into wider health programmes funded by her Department; and how her Department measures reducing the incidence of HIV and AIDS.

Alistair Burt: DFID’s assessment of progress on integrating the HIV response and reducing incidence is drawn from reports and data produced by UNAIDS and other partners including the World Health Organisation and the Global Fund to fight AIDS TB and Malaria. Progress towards integration into wider health programmes is also informed through reviews, which are publicly available on the DFID Development Tracker, carried out by DFID in-country health advisers.

International Assistance: Security

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations her Department has received on its implementation of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance framework.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, for which countries her Department has made Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessments in the last three years.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessments her Department has made in the last three calendar years.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to publish how it ensures the adequate implementation of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance framework.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of its implementation of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance framework.

Alistair Burt: The Government applies its Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) human rights guidance to ensure that security and justice assistance meets its human rights obligations and values. This guidance was revised and re-published in January 2017.The UK’s security and justice expertise is highly valued across the world and improves the standards and capabilities of law enforcement and security agencies operating in the most challenging environments. OSJA assessments are carried out before assistance is rendered and evaluate the risk of any assistance provided being used in a way that is not in line with human rights and British values. As the Foreign Secretary stated in his written ministerial statement in January 2017, the new OSJA process remains the most comprehensive and demanding tool of its type anywhere in the world.As the lead Department for OSJA policy, the Foreign Office engaged with a number of human rights organisations (including members of the Foreign Secretary’s Advisory Groups on Human Rights) as part of the recent revision of the OSJA guidance and will continue to do so with regard to its implementation. The Foreign Office will include information on the steps taken to implement OSJA across Government when it publishes its Annual Human Rights Report.All DFID security and justice programmes are required to follow OSJA guidance in their business cases and any programme extensions. Annual reviews of these programmes assess risk and mitigations also in line with the OSJA guidance. Authority for activity underpinned by OSJA assessments is made at different levels according to the risk, from personnel in-country to Ministers. DFID does not hold data covering all OSJA assessments made in the last three calendar years.

International Assistance: Security

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure its provision of overseas assistance is in accordance with the Government's human rights obligations.

Alistair Burt: The Sustainable Development Goals sit at the heart of the UK Aid Strategy and represent a commitment to achieve measurable improvements in economic, social and political human rights. In the Bilateral Development Review, the Department for International Development committed to tackling some human rights issues that have been neglected for too long, including modern slavery and child exploitation.A commitment to respecting human rights is one of the four Partnership Principles that DFID considers alongside other factors in determining how it provides aid in a country. DFID works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to assess commitment to human rights and raise any concerns at the appropriate level.

Department for Education

Children: Day Care

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations her Department has received from childcare providers on the effect of the level of central government funding to local authorities for their expanded statutory responsibility to provide free childcare from September 2017 on the (a) pay levels they are able to offer their employees and (b) the experience and qualification levels of the employees they are able to recruit.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We have not received specific representations from providers on the areas raised in the question since the launch of the extended entitlement to childcare on 1 September.The Department for Education does not set pay and conditions for early years professionals employed in private and voluntary sector organisations, which is the majority of the early years workforce.The statutory framework for the early years’ foundation stage (EYFS) sets out qualifications requirements for staff working in early years settings.

Children: Day Care

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has made an estimate of the number of work hours for which people cannot work on account of free childcare not being available for a full week of 37.5 hours and during school holidays.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We are increasing support to working parents by doubling the free childcare entitlement from 15 to 30 hours per week from September 2017. The introduction of 30 hours’ free childcare aims to make childcare more affordable and to enable parents to work, or to work more if they choose to do so. The department knows that parents’ working patterns vary significantly and we are working closely with local authorities and providers to ensure that the 30 hours’ free childcare entitlement delivers high quality and flexible childcare that meets parents’ needs. Our statutory guidance makes clear that parents can stretch their entitlement over more than 38 weeks of the year, enabling them to take it up during the term time and the school holidays.

Foster Care

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the causes of the reduction in the number of further applications to ensure adequate numbers of foster carers.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The National Fostering Stocktake is underway. It is exploring a number of issues including the recruitment and retention of foster carers. It will give us a much better understanding of the current provision and the challenges in the foster care system, including barriers to recruitment. The independent external reviewers will report to Ministers with recommendations at the end of the year. The Government response will be published in Spring 2018.

Foster Care

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timetable is for the publication of the Government response to the National Fostering Stocktake consultation.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We expect to publish the government’s response to the National Fostering Stocktake in Spring 2018.

Intercountry Adoption: Pupil Premium

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending pupil premium to cover children from overseas adopted in the UK.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The government is currently considering the educational entitlements of children adopted from care outside England and Wales.

Prime Minister

Prime Minister: Government Chief Scientific Adviser

Norman Lamb: To ask the Prime Minister, how many meetings she has had with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser in the last three months.

Mrs Theresa May: I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues, officials and others.

Prime Minister: Cyprus

Catherine West: To ask the Prime Minister, what recent discussions she has had with President Anastasiades; and whether she plans to visit Cyprus in this parliamentary session.

Mrs Theresa May: President Anastasiades and I saw each other in New York on 19 September in the margins of the UN General Assembly. We also had a bilateral meeting on 23 June in the margins of the European Council. We discussed bilateral relations, the Cyprus settlement negotiations and the UK’s departure from the EU. For security reasons, my engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Administration of Justice

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that reprisals against former or current members of the armed forces through the legal system for political reasons are not allowed.

Mark Lancaster: The Government is determined to protect the Armed Forces against improper legal claims. That is why we asked the Solicitors Regulation Authority to investigate solicitor Phil Shiner, who was struck off earlier this year for dishonesty. In respect of Northern Ireland, the Defence Secretary is working closely with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to ensure that the approach taken to address Northern Ireland's past is fair, balanced, and proportionate and that veterans are fully supported throughout.

Stonehouse Barracks

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to announce the new basing arrangements for Royal Marines currently based at Stonehouse Barracks in Plymouth.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The estate optimisation strategy "A Better Defence Estate" announced in November 2016 included the Department's intent to dispose of Stonehouse Barracks by 2023 and to reprovide for the Royal Marines units in either the Plymouth or Torpoint areas (HM Naval Base Devonport / HMS Raleigh). Further assessment study work is being undertaken to inform the final decision.

Ministry of Defence: Buildings

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2017 to Question 8734, on Ministry of Defence: buildings, from whom at what values and in order to rent which parts of the estate that money was collected.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: A breakdown of income received from sub-letting activity, by supplier and location, from financial years 2009 - 2017 is shown below: The Information provided for Annington Homes and CarillionAmey sub-lets is a consolidated figure. Individual information for both Annington Homes and CarillionAmey is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.  2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17Annington Home Ltd (Aylesbury, Bassingbourne,Chinvenor, Ripon, St Athan, Sutton, Waterbeach and Wyton)£520,433£413,714£707,304£559,271£607,607£722,222£733,477£561,979South Cambs DC (Waterbeach) £126,000£126,000£126,000Ermine St Housing Ltd (Bassingbourne)  £59,000£59,000Ermine St Housing Ltd (Brampton)   £408,000CarillionAmey Ltd (Bordon, Brampton, Cupar, Lyneham and Wyton)   £42,090MOD Income£520,433£413,714£707,304£559,271£607,607£848,222£918,477£1,197,069

Ministry of Defence: Compensation

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many secondary victims claims have been made against his Department in each of the last 10 years; how many of those claims were successful; how many claimants have undergone psychiatric assessment as part of that process; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Claims data is not recorded in a way which identifies claims by secondary victims. When compensation claims are received they are considered on the basis of whether or not the Ministry of Defence has a legal liability to pay compensation. Where there is a legal liability to pay compensation we do so.

Armed Forces: Death

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many awards have been made for claims of punitive damages in cases of death of military personnel in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Claims data is not recorded in a way which identifies claims in which Courts awarded punitive or exemplary damages against the Department in cases involving the death of military personnel. It is, however, believed that there have been no cases at all in the last 10 years.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will conduct a new Strategic Defence and Security Review when the UK leaves the EU.

Sir Michael Fallon: In the light of the rapidly changing international situation and the intensification of the threats identified in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Government is conducting a National Security Capability Review to ensure our capabilities are as effective and efficient as possible. Defence is playing a full role in this work - undertaken to look again at the specific capabilities available not just to the Ministry of Defence but across Government, to ensure that as threats intensify we continue to have the right capabilities in the right places to meet them.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Hartlepool

Mike Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Hartlepool have appealed against his Department's decision not to grant them personal independence payments in the last 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt: The number of appeals lodged against Personal Independence Payment claims which were disallowed at initial decision and where this decision was upheld at mandatory reconsideration for Hartlepool in the last 12 months is 110. Period covered: August 2016 – July 2017 (latest available data).

Pensions: EU Countries

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many UK citizens are in receipt of a pension from another EU member state.

Guy Opperman: The information requested is not available.

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people over 100-years old receive the UK state pension in each country outside the UK.

Guy Opperman: The table below provides a response to your question from DWP’s State Pension administrative data on the number of State Pension recipients aged over 100 years old. There are known issues with the quality of this data due to historical operational processes which mean that some cases remain on the administrative data although they are no longer in payment. Additional management information held within the department indicates that the in-payment caseload for Yemen in particular is much lower than that presented below. CaseloadAbroad - Not known20Alderney-Australia210Austria-Bangladesh-Barbados-Belgium-Canada140Cyprus-Denmark-Djibouti-Dom Commonwealth (Dominica)-France10Germany10Gibraltar-Greece-Grenada-Guernsey10Hungary-India-Ireland50Israel10Italy20Jamaica40Jersey-Kenya-Luxembourg-Malta-Netherlands-New Zealand70Norway-Pakistan10Poland-Portugal-Republic of Lithuania-Republic of Yemen30South Africa20Spain20St Vincent & Grenadines-Sweden-Switzerland10Tanzania-United Arab Emirates-USA100Virgin Islands (USA)-Zimbabwe- Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, February 2017.Caseload figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.Caseloads identified with ‘-‘ are negligible, but non-zero.Caseloads in WPLS can include suspended cases which are no longer in payment. Note:DWP has reviewed the operational process for keeping records no longer in payment on the system and improvements are underway to close down these cases.

Jobcentres: South Yorkshire

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many screened interview rooms are being lost in jobcentres in South Yorkshire.

Damian Hinds: Two screened areas are being removed; one in Mexborough Jobcentre as part of building works to merge services from Goldthorpe Jobcentre, and one from the closure of Eastern Avenue. Claimants will be directed to other screened areas within the District if required.

Jobcentres: Closures

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assistance is being provided to staff of jobcentres selected for closure who are unable to relocate to alternative sites and maintain their current working hours due to family commitments.

Damian Hinds: For any staff who are outside of reasonable daily travel, we will be seeking to redeploy them into a new role within DWP wherever possible. We will also look to other government departments for wider opportunities. I would stress though, that our first priority is to minimise the risk of redundancies. Our track record on previous redeployments suggests that we will be able to relocate or offer alternative roles to the vast majority of those potentially affected. At this time staff continue to be supported through local discussions with their managers.

Pension Credit: East Renfrewshire

Paul Masterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many East Renfrewshire residents (a) are eligible to receive and (b) claim pension credit.

Guy Opperman: The information requested on the number of individuals eligible to receive Pension Credit by parliamentary constituency is not available at that level. At the end of February 2017, there were 2,021 individuals in receipt of Pension Credit in East Renfrewshire. This information is published and available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water: Billing

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures he has put in place to deal with trends in the level of personal debts to water companies after the introduction of universal credit; and what plans he has to introduce a mandatory social tariff to help customers who cannot afford their water bills.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Water companies have in place a number of measures to support those customers who are in debt or may be struggling to pay their water bill. The support offered can vary but includes short term concessions such as payment holidays or crisis breaks, debt write-off schemes, charitable trust grants and social tariffs. All water companies have put in place social tariffs that provide a discounted bill to qualifying customers. This follows guidance issued by the Government in 2012 that encourages water companies to develop social tariff schemes in consultation with their customers. The Government believes that companies are best placed to develop social tariffs to reflect local needs and views. WaterSure is a national mandated tariff that all water companies have to provide to qualifying customers. The aim is to support metered customers on a low income who have unavoidably high water use either for health reasons or because they have 3 or more children. Most recently, the Government has introduced data sharing provisions under the Digital Economy Act that will enable water companies to better identify those customers who may need help paying their water bill. The Consumer Council for Water offers support and advice to all customers of water companies. This includes advice about organisations and charities who may be able to offer them a grant to help them out of debt.

Land Drainage

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made in (a) increasing the number and (b) improving the quality of sustainable drainage systems installed.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government strengthened planning policy in April 2015 to make sure that sustainable drainage systems are provided in all new major developments, unless the developer can demonstrate that they are clearly inappropriate. This is in addition to existing requirements that sustainable drainage systems should be given priority in new developments in flood risk areas. Planning policy supported by guidance contains the necessary levers for local planning authorities to secure high quality sustainable drainage systems. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is leading a review to assess the effectiveness of planning policy in delivering sustainable drainage systems in new developments in England. DCLG will publish the results of the review in due course.

Deer Act 1991: Prosecutions

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people were (a) proceeded against and (b) convicted of an offence under the Deer Act 1991 in each police force area in 2016.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The following information was provided by the Ministry of Justice.The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts in England and Wales of offences under the Deer Act 1991, by police force area in 2016, can be viewed in the accompanying table.



Offences under the Deer Act 1991
(Word Document, 32.56 KB)

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of measures to prevent the illegal export of electronic waste to developing countries.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency regulates the export of waste in England, including waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). There are a number of legal mechanisms in place to control exports of WEEE. These includeA ban on exporting hazardous electrical waste from the UK to developing countries;A requirement to register with the Environment Agency if you export WEEE;A requirement to notify the Environment Agency if you export some types of WEE.The Environment Agency has increased the number of inspections of sites suspected of illegal waste exports and works in partnership with the Police, Border Agency and Interpol. The Environment Agency estimates that the amount of illegally exported electrical and household waste from England fell approximately 17% between 2014 and 2016. This reduction in illegal exports is estimated to have saved the UK economy £2.75 million over those two years. The Environment Agency continues to review its strategy and intelligence to further reduce illegal exports.

Air Pollution: Sheffield

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any funding has been allocated from the public purse to support Sheffield Council in establishing its air quality plans.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Sheffield City Council has been identified in the UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations as a local authority with concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) projected to be persistently in exceedance of the legal limit. It is required to produce a local air quality plan to reduce levels of NO2 in the shortest possible time. Sheffield City Council has therefore been allocated initial funding to develop a proposal for a feasibility study. Further funding will be made available to carry out that feasibility study and for the implementation of agreed measures to bring Sheffield into compliance with the legal limit in the shortest possible time.

Fisheries Convention

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on withdrawal from the London Fisheries Convention; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: On 3 July the UK gave formal notification to withdraw from the London Fisheries Convention. The Convention has a 2 year notification period for withdrawal. The Secretary of State wrote to his counterparts in all Member States who have access to the UK’s 6-12 mile zone on 3 July.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Grenfell Tower: Fires

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2017 to Question 5176, what advice his Department issued to the local authority and voluntary sector organisations providing support to survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire on working with (a) vulnerable people and (b) children.

Alok Sharma: My Department has been working closely with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council, NHS, Public Health England and the Voluntary and Community Sector, wider government and those providing care to ensure the needs of vulnerable people and children affected by the Grenfell Tower fire and wider community are met.Local authorities and voluntary sector organisations who are supporting the survivors are subject to existing safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance. This includes, for example, the 1989 and 2004 Children Acts; Department for Education interagency guidance on safeguarding children; and The Care Act 2014.

Electric Cables: Gloucestershire

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to investigate the leader of Gloucestershire County Council on whether he acted ultra vires by agreeing to the cabling from the energy firm waste plant at Javelin Park at Junction 13 on the M5 through to the Ryeford Substation via Stonehouse High Street.

Mr Marcus Jones: Decisions of this nature are properly the responsibility of the local authority. Ministers have no remit to intervene in the day to day affairs of local authorities, except where specific provision has been made in an Act of Parliament.Complaints about how any such decision has been reached should be considered against the Council’s code of conduct, and directed in the first instance towards the Council’s statutory monitoring officer, who has a duty to investigate.

Electric Cables: Gloucestershire

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to ensure that Gloucestershire County Council undertakes environmental impact assessment on the impact of installing a cable from Javelin Park to the Ryeford Substation via Stonehouse High Street

Alok Sharma: The decision on whether an environmental impact assessment is required is a matter for the local planning authority.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether social rents will revert to the previously agreed settlement of Consumer Price Index plus one per cent from 1 April 2020.

Alok Sharma: The Government has announced plans to set a long term rent deal for councils and housing associations. Under the proposal announced on 4 October, increases to social housing rents will be limited to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1 per cent for 5 years from 2020. This announcement recognises the need for a stable financial environment to support the delivery of new homes.

Non-domestic Rates

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department made an assessment of the effect on the timescale for local authorities to grant business rate reliefs detailed in Budget 2017 of the readiness of software used by local authorities in advance of making that commitment; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Following the Chancellor’s announcement of the Business Rates Relief Schemes at the Budget, on 9 March the Department published a Business Rates Information Letter to local authorities. This provided information on each of the three schemes including draft allocations for the discretionary relief scheme and guidance on the Supporting Small Business Scheme. On 10 March the Department began discussions with a group of local authorities and the main software suppliers to discuss the implementation of the schemes and system requirements.The Department has continued to engage local authorities and software suppliers, encouraging authorities to speed up implementation and publishing the technical guidance for the Supporting Small Business Scheme and Pubs Relief Scheme on 20 June. However, local authorities have overall responsibility for awarding and maintaining contracts with their software providers and for ensuring value for money. While authorities have been able to manually identify eligible businesses for the Supporting Small Business Scheme since March, some authorities chose to wait for a full software update that enabled them to automate this process.I met software providers on 12 July and agreed that the software update would be provided to authorities by 21 August at the latest. The update was released by all of the main software providers by this date. On 14 September I made a Written Ministerial Statement, which set out the good progress made by some authorities and a commitment to publish a list of authorities that have rebilled across all three schemes. This has now been published and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-relief-schemes-2017-rebilling-progress

Department for Communities and Local Government: Buildings

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2017 to Question 8732, from whom that money came; and for the renting of which parts of the estate those sums were charged.

Mr Marcus Jones: The information requested may be found in the following table: Table: Sub-let properties on the Department for Communities and Local Government estate, 2010-11 to 2016-17 OrganisationBuilding occupiedCare Quality CommissionCitygate, NewcastleCare Quality CommissionParadise Circus, BirminghamCare Quality CommissionBelgrave Centre, NottinghamNHS ProtectCitygate, NewcastleHigh Speed Two5 St Phillips Place, BirminghamHigh Speed TwoEland House, LondonARM Holdings LtdEastbrook, CambridgeACASTemple Quay House, BristolMedia TrustRiverwalk House, London

Council Tax: Valuation

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the potential effect on council tax revenue of revaluing properties to their current levels.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government has made no such estimate.

Homelessness

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people presented as homeless in each local authority area in England and Wales in each month from January 2017.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department for Communities and Local Government publishes regular statistics on rough sleeping, statutory homelessness and homelessness prevention and relief in England. These are published at a local authority level.The latest statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics.The Government remains committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why we are aiming to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminate it altogether by 2027. To achieve this, we will set up a new homelessness reduction taskforce that will focus on prevention and affordable housing, and we will pilot a Housing First approach to tackle entrenched rough sleeping.We are also implementing the most ambitious legislative reform in decades, the Homelessness Reduction Act, which will ensure that more people get the help they need earlier to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.

Parking: Private Sector

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to strengthen the powers given to local authorities to regulate private car parks.

Mr Marcus Jones: We have already taken steps to help local authorities tackle unfair practices by private parking operators, including the banning of wheel clamping and towing.My Department is also considering reforms of the private parking sector and we are keen to ensure motorists get fair treatment from private parking companies.We welcome Sir Greg Knight’s Private Members’ Bill that seeks to create an independent code of practice for private parking companies. We look forward to reading Sir Greg’s recommendations.

Scotland Office

Research and Innovation: Scotland

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the Government's policy paper, Collaboration on Science and Innovation: A Future Partnership Paper, published on 6 September 2017, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the devolution of powers over research and innovation to Scotland.

David Mundell: I regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss all issues relating to the UK’s exit from the EU.

Research and Innovation: Scotland

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the Government's policy paper, Collaboration on Science and Innovation: A Future Partnership Paper, published on 6 September 2017, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the devolution of powers over research and innovation to Scotland.

David Mundell: The Scottish Government and the UK Government are working together to ensure we get the best deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK as we exit the EU. The government has been clear that we expect leaving the EU to result in a significant increase in the decision-making powers of the devolved administrations.

Research and Innovation: Scotland

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the Government's policy paper, Collaboration on Science and Innovation: A Future Partnership Paper, published on 6 September 2017, what discussions he has had with Scottish universities and the Royal Society of Edinburgh on the devolution of powers over research and innovation to Scotland.

David Mundell: I regularly meet with stakeholders across Scotland to listen, exchange views and address concerns and will continue to do so to ensure that all sectors can take full advantage of the new opportunities that Brexit will bring. The government has been clear that leaving the EU will result in a significant increase in the decision-making powers of the devolved administrations.

Tumble Dryers: Scotland

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and (b) Scottish Government on tackling problems with tumble dryer safety in Scotland.

David Mundell: I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Scottish Government ministers on a range of issues. The UK has legislation in place which requires manufacturers to place only safe products on the market and to take action where a safety issue is identified. BEIS is in regular contact with white goods manufacturers and AMDEA (the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances) and established a Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety to further improve the safety of white goods and the recalls system. The group made its final recommendations in July of this year and actions are underway to implement a number of their recommendations:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-to-margot-james

Department for Exiting the European Union

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether EU nationals granted permanent residence prior to the EU referendum taking place will retain the right to reside in the UK, irrespective of the outcome of negotiations with the EU, which they currently enjoy.

Mr Robin Walker: As set out in the Government’s policy paper, EU citizens, including those granted permanent residence status prior to the EU Referendum, will need to apply for settled status, which will give them the right to reside in the UK.Qualifying EU citizens will be given time to apply for their new residence status after our exit, so they can be reassured that there will be no cliff-edge at the point of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The UK is ready to offer an even more streamlined process for current holders of permanent residence.As the Prime Minister set out in her speech in Florence, we are confident that we can find a way forward that makes a success of this for all of our people, and that we have a responsibility to make this change work smoothly and sensibly.

Brexit

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if his Department still plans to complete negotiations on the UK leaving the EU by April 2019.

Mr Robin Walker: Article 50 sets out a two year period to agree a withdrawal agreement with the EU, and we are confident we can achieve an outcome that works in the interests of both sides by the end of March 2019.The Prime Minister’s speech in Florence also made clear that we are proposing a strictly time-limited implementation period where we continue to have access to one another’s markets on current terms and take part in existing security measures. We expect this to last for a period of around two years. And it should be agreed as early as possible to avoid uncertainty.While the UK’s departure from the European Union is inevitably a complex process, it is in all of our interests for these negotiations to succeed. Approaching each round with flexibility and imagination is the only way we’ll achieve a deal that truly works for both sides.

UK Membership of EU: Disclosure of Information

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the position paper, Confidentiality and Access to Documents, published on 21 August 2017, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of EU institutions refusing to provide guarantees on the use by the EU of information produced while the UK was an EU member state after the UK leaves the EU in the event that there is no deal.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the position paper, Confidentiality and Access to Documents, published on 21 August 2017, what contingency planning there has been in the event that EU institutions refuse to provide guarantees about the use by the EU of information produced while the UK was an EU member state after the UK leaves the EU in the event that there is no deal.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK’s position is that official information and documents originating from the EU, the UK or another EU Member State produced or exchanged prior to withdrawal should continue to be protected as now. The EU position, as expressed in their paper on ‘Issues relating to the Functioning of the Union Institutions, Agencies and Bodies,’ is consistent with this. The EU and its Member States will continue to be bound by their current obligations on confidentiality and access to documents.

UK Membership of EU: Disclosure of Information

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the position paper, Confidentiality and Access to Documents, published on 21 August 2017, what representations the Government has made to EU member states on the handling by the EU of information produced while the UK was an EU member state after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK’s position is that official information and documents originating from the EU, the UK or another EU Member State produced or exchanged prior to withdrawal should continue to be protected as now. The EU, as expressed in their paper on ‘Issues relating to the Functioning of the Union Institutions, Agencies and Bodies,’ is consistent with this position. The UK has had helpful discussions with the EU in relation to this issue during the recent negotiating rounds. The Government has therefore not made any representations to EU Member States on this matter, who will remain bound by relevant EU legislation on the protection of official information and documents.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many civil servants in her Department are part of the Government Commercial Function; and how many of those civil servants have been seconded(a) outside the Government and (b) in from outside the Government in each year since 2012.

Matt Hancock: DCMS participates in the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO) scheme, which is part of Cabinet Office. In the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), one civil servant is currently part of the Government Commercial Organisation. The individual has not been seconded outside Government, as part of GCO, in any year since 2012 and was not seconded in.

Public Libraries: South East

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of council-funded library sites in the South East which have closed in the last 12 months.

John Glen: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport monitors proposed changes to library service provision throughout England, however the Department does not hold complete figures on the number of public library closures in each local authority in the South East of England in the last 12 months.

Public Libraries: Closures

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of council-funded library sites across England in each local authority which have closed in the last 12 months.

John Glen: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport monitors proposed changes to library service provision throughout England, however the Department does not hold complete figures on the number of public library closures in each local authority in England in the last 12 months.

Department of Health

Department of Health: Devolution

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the dates were of the most recent meetings between Ministers of his Department and their counterparts in the devolved administrations; and what the dates are of the next planned meetings.

Steve Brine: Ministers have phone calls with their counterparts from the devolved administrations to discuss pertinent issues as they arise. There are no current meeting dates planned, although we would expect them to occur in due course.

General Practitioners: Vacancies

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how long on average it has taken to fill a vacant GP post in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Yorkshire and (c) the UK in each year since 2010.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent on locum doctors in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Yorkshire and (c) the UK in each of the last 12 months.

Steve Brine: NHS England does not collect centralised data on the average time to fill general practitioner (GP) vacancies, which varies significantly depending on area. Clinical commissioning groups are currently working on strategies and plans to address recruitment issues which will vary from area to area. These plans will be reflective of the General Practice Forward View and national initiatives to support recruitment and retention.Information on spending on locum doctors is not held centrally. GPs are independent contractors who have discretion on the number and type of staff they employ in their practices to assist in the delivery of primary medical services.

Pharmacy

Sir Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to respond to the Murray review of community pharmacy; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: NHS England commissioned the Murray review and is now actively progressing transformation of pharmacy practice and working with the pharmacy professions to improve the quality and efficiency of services in line with many of the recommendations set out in the Review. This includes: - An increased focus on improving value and outcomes from medicines.- Measures to promote pharmacist and pharmacy technician integration in primary care settings, making the most of their clinical skills, supported by the Pharmacy Integration Fund (PhIF). Some examples of the actions underway as part of this include: - Programmes to deploy pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in integrated multi-disciplinary teams to carry out medicines optimisation and relieve the pressures on general practitioner practices and hospital admissions, funded by the PhIF and with evaluation in place. These include recruiting pharmacists to work in the Integrated Urgent Care Clinical Assessment Service contact centres and NHS 111 services, and the ongoing development of a care homes medicines optimisation scheme to tackle inappropriate polypharmacy. - A programme of education and development is being developed in collaboration with Health Education England to support this transformation. This will include access to post-registration training and development for community pharmacists, equivalent to 1,000 postgraduate diplomas a year up to 2019, a new training pathway for pharmacists who work in care homes and integrated urgent care hubs/NHS 111, and independent prescribing qualifications for up to 2,000 pharmacists. - A digital medicines strategy for pharmacy to upgrade the digital infrastructure to support transformation. - NHS England has set up four Regional Medicines Optimisation Committees, chaired by regional medical directors, which are working to ensure system wide medicines optimisation.

General Practitioners: Administration

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the average number of hours spent on administrative tasks each week by GPs in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Brine: NHS England and NHS Digital do not hold data on the average number of hours spent on administrative tasks each week by general practitioners (GPs). NHS England is spending £45 million to train clerical staff to safely handle more paperwork without burdening the GP. Practices are already telling NHS England about the positive impact of this, with many saving nearly one hour per GP per day.

Dental Services

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of dentistry services by the NHS.

Steve Brine: NHS England has a legal duty to commission National Health Service dental services to meet the needs of the local population and to help patients who cannot find a local dentist. Nationally, access to primary care dental services continues to increase. In the 24 month period ending 30 June 2017 22.2 million adults were seen by a dentist and in the 12 month period ending 30 June 2017 6.8 million children were seen by a dentist. The January to March 2017 general practitioner patient survey results were published in July. These showed that 59% of adults questioned had tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the past two years and of those trying to get an appointment, 95% were successful. Access has improved greatly over recent years but we know inequalities remain. New ways of providing NHS dental services are being tested which aim to further improve oral health and increase access to NHS dental services, by preventing as well as treating disease. Alongside this, is NHS England’s recently launched Starting Well programme, which will run in 13 high needs areas to improve access to dental services for children known to be at greater risk of dental disease and who are not currently being seen by a dentist.

General Practitioners

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the GP to patient ratio for (a) Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group, (b) other clinical commissioning groups and (c) the UK; what recent assessment he has made of the safe ratio of patients to doctors in GP practices; what steps he is taking to increase the number of GPs in Brighton and Hove; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: NHS England and the Department have not sought to make a recommendation about the safe ratio of patients to doctors in general practice as the appropriate ratio is determined by local population demands. NHS England and Health Education England are working together with the profession to increase the general practitioner (GP) workforce by an additional 5,000 doctors in general practice by 2020. This includes measures to boost recruitment into general practice, address the reasons why GPs are leaving the profession, and encourage GPs to return to practice. The table below shows patient numbers per headcount GP and headcount GPs per 100,000 population for Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England South East, South of England and England. AreaPatient numbers per headcount GPHeadcount GPs per 100,000 populationBrighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group1,80961.0NHS England South East1,52768.4South of England1,38075.9England1,39176.5

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of replicating the relevant functions of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control after the UK leaves the EU.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the number of staff required to replicate the relevant functions of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control after the UK leaves the EU.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what preparations his Department has made to replicate the relevant functions of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control after the UK leaves the EU.

Steve Brine: As part of the negotiations, Public Health England is examining the European Union security measures we are currently part of, including alternative health security arrangements. We are seeking a strategic partnership to continue close working relationship with our European partners. However, whilst negotiations are ongoing, we are not in a position to speculate on the cost to the public purse and the number of staff required to replicate the relevant functions of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.The United Kingdom is a world leader in tackling serious cross-border threats to health and has a well-developed health protection system highly regarded by European partners. We use and benefit from a range of international information-sharing tools in the area of health security, which are by no means limited to EU mechanisms but include other channels such as the 2005 International Health Regulations. In addition, the UK already has good collaborative relationship with other international partners such as the World Health Organization. It is in everyone’s interests to continue to collaborate closely, and to maintain access to our intelligence, risk assessment, guidance and management advice.

Alcoholic Drinks and Smoking: Television

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with television companies on reducing the prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption in programming.

Steve Brine: No such discussions have taken place. It is for content makers to decide what to include in their programmes, provided that they comply with the Broadcasting Code. As television reflects real life, it can be expected that some people on television may smoke and drink alcohol. In respect of children and young people, the Ofcom Broadcasting Code stipulates that smoking, drugs and the misuse of alcohol must not be featured in programmes made primarily for children, and must generally be avoided and not condoned, encouraged, or glamorised before the watershed or in programmes likely to be seen by children.

Exercise

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to incentivise people to have an active lifestyle.

Steve Brine: Public Health England uses a range of approaches to encourage people to be more physically active. Its social marketing campaigns Change4Life and Active 10, the recent One You physical activity campaign, was supported by a mobile phone app to encourage 10 minute bouts of walking and has been downloaded over 400,000 times. The NHS England Healthy New Towns programme, one of the ‘Five Year Forward View’ innovation programmes, launched in July 2015, is working with 10 new housing developments across England to deliver a range of innovative interventions and implement best practice to co-create with local communities new places which promote health and wellbeing.

Hay Fever: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people (a) have been diagnosed and (b) are being treated for hay fever aged (i) 10 to 16, (ii) 16 to 30, (iii) 30 to 80 and (iv) over 60 years in the last 12 months.

Steve Brine: This information is not collected.

HIV Infection

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people there were with HIV in the UK in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: In each of the years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 there were 77,333, 81,062, 85,162, 89,289 and 91,987 people living with diagnosed HIV in the United Kingdom, respectively.

Prescription Drugs: Chronic Illnesses

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that delivery of prescription drugs for patients with long-term conditions and illness will be maintained.

Steve Brine: Delivery of prescription medicines can continue to be commissioned by NHS England from community pharmacies, depending on local needs as an enhanced service, in which case it is provided free of charge to patients. However, pharmacies can of course offer delivery services to their patients – even if they are not commissioned by NHS England. Where they do, it is a private arrangement between the pharmacy and the patient.

Prostate Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on the connection between height and prostate cancer risk.

Steve Brine: No such discussions have taken place.